Protective cover for liquefied petroleum gas systems



E. LEHTO Sept. 3, 1968 PROTECTIVE COVER FOR LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GASSYSTEMS Filed Dec. 20, 1966 a d m m mm M 4 s n m J 5. T1: M W H o I 1 F7 B- V .l y a W a w a Fil 3:3

3,399,553 PROTECTIVE COVER FOR LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS SYSTEMS EricLehto, 4649 Redding St., Oakland, Calif. 94619 Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser.No. 603,268 5 Claims. (Cl. 70-158) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thetechnical disclosure in specification is directed to a removable hoodfor protecting portable LP. gas systems from theft, damage or tampering.The hood fits over the upper ends of the LP. tanks and the valves,regulator and tubing, and is removably locked in place to block offeffective use of tools on the LP. valves, etc., or on the lockingmechanism.

The present invention relates to improvements in a protective cover forliquefied petroleum gas systems, and more particularly to a device forpreventing accidental damage and unauthorized tampering with or removalof the tanks, valves, and regulators from their location of use.

For reasons of convenience, portable liquefied petroleum gas tanks andtheir associated distribution system are commonly placed in exposedlocations where they may be tampered with or stolen. Damage byaccidental impact, such as maladjustment or breakage, is also a hazardwhere the system is exposed. A protective cover for the systemeliminates both the expense of its repair or replacement and thepotential safety hazards posed by leaking gas and by excessive gaspressure due to tampering with the regulator.

Applicants device is especially useful for protecting the tanks andtheir distribution system on house trailers, camper trucks, and thelike, but it will be appreciated that the device is useful in anysituation in which the liquefied petroleum gas tanks are placed inlocations accessible to unauthorized persons. The problem isparticularly acute in connection with house trailers, as the tanks arecommonly placed in the open on the tongue of the trailer, within easyreach of all, including children,

Applicants protective device restricts both manual and tool access tothe area of the tanks in which the valves are disposed and the area inwhich the regulator and tubing are commonly mounted. A vertical memberextends up from the base on which the tank rests, such as the tongue ofa house trailer, alongside the tank and the hood is secured in place bya handle member which engages the vertical member and retains the hoodon it.

' The hood is rendered more secure against removal by providing a keepermeans which restrains the handle member against removal from thevertical member, and a lock for the keeper means. Security is providedfor the tanks and distribution equipment against even the moredetermined thieves, as the handle member, keeper means, and lock areformed so as to obstruct the use of a hacksaw, bolt cutter or similartool on them. In particular, the keeper means and lock are disposed sothat the hood shields them from such lock-breaking tools, while the lockremains accessible by hand for locking and unlocking.

An additional advantage of applicants protective device is that itprovides a simple and uncluttered appearance more appealing to the eyethan the mechanisms concealed beneath it. The concealment also lessensthe temptation toward mischief by removing the equipment from sight.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention toprovide a protective device for portable liquefied petroleum gas tanksand the distribution system astitted States Patent ()1 fice PatentedSept. 3, 1968 sociated therewith to prevent unauthorized removal of thetanks and distribution system from the location of their use. 7

It is a further principal object of the present invention to provide aprotective device of the character described for preventing tamperingand malicious mischief with the distribution system associated with thetanks.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a protectivedevice of the character described in which the distribution system isprotected against accidental damage by impact.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a protectivedevice of the character described which is locked in place againstimproper removal and yet readily removable by hand by authorizedpersons.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide aprotective device of the character described in which the lockingmechanism is protected against access of lock-breaking tools theretowithout substantially impairing manual access to the lock for its properremoval.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a protectivedevice of the character described which improves the appearance of thetanks and distribution system by concealing the upper end of the tanksand the equipment from view, thereby also reducing the temptation towardmalicious mischief.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a protectivedevice of the character described which is simple and economical inconstruction and both durable and uncomplicated in its operation.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the protective device of the presentinvention shown installed over two liquefied petroleum gas tanks.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1 with thehood broken away to show the details of the apparatus beneath the hood.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-section taken along lines 33 of FIGURE1.

While the preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings and described herein, it will be apparent that various changesand modifications may be made within the ambit of this invention asdefined in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the protectivedevice 11 of the present invention is adapted for use with a liquefiedpetroleum gas system 12 having a pair of liquefied petroleum gas tanks.13, 14 retained in place on a base 16 by a cross bar 18 mounted on anupstanding member 19 between tanks 13, 14. Base 16 may be attached to orbe a part of housetrailer 17. Tanks 13, 14 are normally equipped withupstanding valve guard collars 21 partially surrounding the manuallyoperated valves 22 at the upper end of tanks 13, 14, and cross bar 18bears down on collars 21 to retain tanks 13, 14 in place on base 16. Thesystem is also normally equipped with a pressure regulator 23 supportedon upstanding member 19 between tanks 13, 14 and valves 22. Regulator 23is connected to valves 22 by tubing 24 and to gas-consuming applianceswithin house trailer 17 by tubing 26. A hood means or cover 27 isadapted to fit over and surround the valves 22, regulator 23, and theupper end of tanks 13, 14, and is retained in place by a retaining means28 attached to house trailer 17 and formed to releasably lock hood 27over the top of tanks 13, 14, and regulator 23.

Hood means or cover 27 is formed with a relatively flat surface 29extending across the top of both tanks 13, 14, and a skirt portion 31depending from the circumr a ference of top surface portion 29 to adepth sutficient to impede hand access to the area occupied by valves 22and regulator 23. Hood 27 is, formed with an aperture 32 for passing theupper end of upstanding member 19, and an aperture 33 spaced fromaperture 32.

As here shown, the upper end of upstanding member 19 is threaded in amale configuration, and retaining means 28 includes a nut 34 havingfemale threads corresponding to those on upstanding member 19. Nut 34 isformed with at least one laterally projecting arm or handle 36 having anaperture 37 near its outer end alignable with aperture 33. Nut 34 may beformed with as many lateral arms as are found convenient, but it is hereprovided with a second lateral arm 38 having an aperture 39 near itsouter end identical in form and location to third aperture 37. Arms 36and 38 permit nut 34 to be engaged by hand to rotate'it for removal fromupstanding member 19. It should also be understood that theconfiguration of upstanding member 19 and nut 34 could be reversedwithout departing from the spirit of this invention, so that arms 36 and38 would be formed on the head o f afmale threaded bolt structureengaging a nut attached to upstanding member 19. As a furtheralternative, upstanding member 19 could form the shank of such awing-headed bolt, with the male thread being near the bottom of member19 and engaging a female threaded member mounted on or a part of base16..

Retaining means 28 also includes a keeper means 41 which is formed as apin having a head 42 and a shank 43. Head 42 is dimensioned so as not topass through aperture 33, while shank 43 is dimensioned to pass freelythrough both aperture 33 and aperture 37. An aperture 44 is formed inthe shank 43 to receive the hasp 46 of a lock 47 which retains pin 41 inplace. Aperture 44 is positioned along shank 43 at a point just farenough from head 42 to make the fourth aperture accessible from theunderside of hook 27 when pin 41 is fully inserted into the apertures 33and 37. For ease of access by hand to the lock 47, aperture 33 islocated toward the side of hood 27 which faces away from the front ofthe house trailer. Keeper means 41 could take other forms, such as ahinged latch interfering with the rotation of arm 36 and lockable intosuch interfering relation, but the form here shown is preferred as itoffers a minimum exposure of the keeper means 41 and lock 47 to attackby tools. In this connection, the low profile of retaining means 28, asbest seen in FIGURE 3, should be noted together with the upstanding bossor collar 48 which surrounds aperture 33. Disposing arm 36 a slightdistance above upper surface 29 renders its hand operation moreconvenient but would render the shank 43 vulnerable to attack by toolswere it not for the protection afforded by boss Cross bar 18 has anaperture 53 in the middle of it dimensioned to pass over the end ofupstanding member 19 and is commonly formed with a depending tongue 49on which regulator 23 and other associated distributing equipment may bemounted. Tanks 13 and 14 are grasped at their upper end by the teeth ofcross bar 18 which engage collars 21 and are retained on base 16 attheir lower end by any appropriate means, which may include a ringshapedcollar 51 mounted on base 16 and adapted to mate with and retain thering-shaped collar 52 commonly found on the bottom of the portableliquefied petroleum gas tanks.

In operation, tanks 13, 14 are installed on trailer 17 with the bottomcollars 52 engaging collars 51 mounted on base 16, so that one collarfits inside the other. Cross bar 18 is fitted onto member 19 with itsteeth in engagement with collars 21 and then tubing 24 and 26 isconnected to valves 22, to regulator 23 and to any other associateddistribution equipment. At this time valves 22 are opened or closed asdesired, and regulator 23 is set to the desired supply pressure. Anyother adjustments in distributing equipment are made and then hood 27 isr 4 dropped over the upper area of the tanks with the threaded end ofmember 19 projecting through aperture 32. Nut 34 is then threaded onto'member 19 and spun down tight to lock hook 27 in place over the tanksand also to urge cross bar 18 against collars 21 to retain the tanks inplace. Nut 34 is'irotated untiloneof the apertures 37, 39 in one of thel'ateralarms 36, 38'is brought into alignment with aperture '33 and thenkeeper'41 is inserted through apertures 32 and 33 to prevent furtherrotation of nut 34. Lock 47 may then be inserted under hood 27 and itshasp 46 passed through aperture 44 to lock keeper 41 against removal. Toremove the hood the sequence of operations is merely reversed.

The collars "21 ontanks 13, 14 areusually formed as an incomplete ringwith the break in the ring occurring opposite the outlet of the valve tofacilitate the fitting of tubing to the valve. For the greatestprotection, therefore, tanks 13, 14 may be turned so that the break incollar 21 faces rearwardly near the front wall of house trailer 17,thereby further impeding access to the valve area of the tanks, as hood27 impedes access from the top and from the outer sidcsand cooperateswith collars 21 in impeding access from the front, while the front wallof trailer 17 and hood 27 cooperate to impede access from the rear, andthe side of collar 21 impedes access to the valve area from the sides ofthe tanks facing upstanding member 19. V

The protective device of applicants invention has been described here asadapted for protecting the pair of liquefied petroleum gas tankscommonly associated with house trailers. However, it must beappreciatedthat applicants protective device may likewise be applied for theprotection of a single tank by correspondingly decreasing the area ofhood 27 and dimensioning it to allow hand access to lock 47, preferablylocating the tank so that the break in collar 21 is diametricallyopposite the point at which keeper means 41 and lock 47 are located.Hood 27 could be provided, ,if desired, with a gripping meanscorresponding to cross bar 18 for engaging and retaining collar 21, andcould be dimensioned to accept regulator 23 in a secure location beneaththe hood. The security afforded against access of saw or cutters toupstanding member 19 by the close proximity of two tanks 13, 14 to itcould be replaced in the single tank embodiment by locating upstandingmember 19 between the front wall of, trailer 17 and tank 13 so that thetrailer itself serves toshield member 19. It should also be appreciatedthat both the single and double tank forms of applicants protectivedevice may be used to protect small liquefied petroleum gas tanks in anysort of stationary location in which the tanks are exposed tounauthorized public access, to preventtheft and tampering.

From the foregoing itmay be seen that the protective device of thepresent invention provides a novel and useful apparatus for preventingaccidental damage to and unauthorized tampering with or removal of the,liquefied petroleum gas tanks and the distribution system associatedtherewith which is readily removable. by authorized persons by hand andyet protected against the use of lock breaking tools. It may also beseen that the coverapparatus of thepresentinvention covers and disguisesthe cluttered appearance of the valves, tubing and regulating equipmentassociated with the tanks yielding a neat and trim look for the.liquefied petroleum gas system and removing temptation to tamper byhiding vulnerable parts of the system from view.

I claim: a

1. In a house trailer liquefied petroleum gas system having a pair ofliquefied petroleum .gas tanks retained in place by a crossbar mountedon an upstanding member betweenthe tanks to bear down on upstandingvalve guard collars surrounding manually operable valves at the upperends of the liquefied petroleum gas tanks and having a pressureregulator supportedon said upstanding member between thevalves andconnected to the valves and house trailer by tubing, a device forpreventing accidental damage and unauthorized tampering with or removalof the liquefied petroleum gas tanks, valves and regulator, comprising:

hood means adapted to fit over and surround the upper end of the tanksand the valves and regulator and retaining means adapted for attachmentto the house trailer and formed for releasably locking said hood in suchposition, said retaining means including a manually engageable membercarried on the upper surface of said hood means and thread means on saidmanually engageable member and said upstanding member positionablethrough said first aperture for releaseably securing said hood means inplace,

said upstanding member having a threaded upper end formed to projectthrough said first aperture when said hood means is fitted Over thedistribution sys tem, and said retaining means including a nut formedfor engagement with said upstanding member to retain said hood means insuch position,

said nut formed with a lateral extension and said retaining meansincluding keeper means selectively engageable in cooperativerelationship with said lateral extension for restraining said nutagainst rotation on said upstanding member.

2. A device for preventing accidental damage and unauthorized tamperingwith or removal of liquefied petroleum gas tanks, valves and regulatoras described in claim 1, and wherein said retaining means includes alock for locking said keeper means into said cooperative relationshipwith said extension.

3. A device for preventing accidental damage and unauthorized tamperingwith or removal of liquefied petroleum gas tanks, valves and regulatoras described in claim 2, and wherein said hood means is formed with asecond aperture therein, and said extension is formed with a thirdaperture therein alignable with said second aperture, said keeper meanscomprising a pin formed to pass through said second and third aperturesand having a head formed thereon larger than one of said second andthird apertures, said pin having a fourth aperture in the shank thereof,said lock being formed with a hasp for fitting through said fourthaperture after said pin is placed head upward through said second andthird apertures, said aperture being located a distance along said shankfrom the head of said pin sutficient to dispose said aperture on theunderside of said hood means after insertion of said pin through saidsecond and third apertures.

4. A device for preventing accidental damage and unauthorized tamperingwith or removal of liquefied petroleum gas tanks, valves and regulatoras described in claim 2, and wherein said hood means being formed ofsufiicient depth to obstruct manual access to the valves and regulatorand to obstruct access of lockbreaking tools to said lock whilepermitting manual access thereto.

5. Cover apparatus for securing portable liquefied petroleum gas tankshaving valves and upstanding valve guard collars to a base forpreventing tampering therewith, comprising:

a hood adapted for positioning to enclose the valve and the collarportions of the tank and having first and second apertures formedtherein,

a threaded member attached to the base and adapted to protrude throughsaid first aperture in said hood when said hood is so positioned overthe tanks,

a nut adapted for engagement with said threaded member and having alateral extension providing a third aperture alignable with said secondaperture in said hood,

a pin adapted to pass through said second and third apertures to preventrotation of said nut and a locking device formed for lockably securingsaid pin against removal from said second and third apertures so as toprevent unauthorized removal of said hood from the tank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,639,208 5/1953 Obenchain312-100 2,985,310 5/1961 Norris 21l74 3,065,857 11/1962 Sanders 2l1-71MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner.

